Broken Vow
by akyl
Summary: As time goes, people always notice to have something missing in their lives. Uchiha Sasuke once embark to find that something, but what if he never missed it and only forget about it? Slash. BL. A/U.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental._

_Disclaimer: Everything is mine except the names! Sadly they aren't mine to monopolize my imagination with._

* * *

Broken Vow

I.

Passing cars. Ant-looking crowds of people. Busy highways. Nosy roads. That's what I've been watching from the skyscraper of Uchiha Corp. It was a fulfilling experience to anyone. Just like how looking down on earth without really putting some effort into could booze someone's self-pride. But the pride that's running not just on my blood but with my whole family is swelling up in my veins, yes. How the shinning glasses that the corporation was made by reflects to every building nearby is simply majestic on the eye. Many were envious of how successful I've become. Being the CEO of the largest corporation someone could ever think of is just one of the reasons. I'm thirty-four and still winning at life, they say.

But that's just where everyone is wrong about me.

The success. The wealth. The popularity. They aren't that fulfilling like everyone thinks about. Because maybe behind all those things I'm happy. Or maybe I'm not. They don't know. No one knows. Because at the end of the day, I still feel incomplete. Like something is totally missing in my life. Like I've let something behind and never got it back. Like I've once held it and got lost at the road of life. But finding it is crucial. Because for the first time, I never really know where to start.

A voice from the speaker phone tells to remind me that there will be a meeting I need to attend to. It would be helpful if I didn't pass the work to one of my most trusted person already. The meeting is to one of our branches that will launch their soft opening of the company's new product next week. We provide gadgets and almost every kind of electronics from today's generation. Even the running software, office word and antivirus that could be installed to most computers were launched by the Uchiha Corp. And next year, a PC Virtual Reality Game would be added in the list if Shikamaru successfully run his works to Shino's newest PC Utap design that he plans to launch next year. And Shikamaru that's been working for the past two-years on his idea plans to launch it the same year and had the game be only bought on the said PC. Maybe it'll be available on different pc's but it will surely be pricier than what could be bought on the company's own U Store that's only designed on any latest U gadgets.

"Gaara is coming so lunch is on Neji today. He's about to do something really important with just the two of them but then he changed it all in last 2-minutes and wanted some moral support. Gonna come?" Shikamaru asked with his most laid-back tone.

"You mean Temari will be there so you'll come?" I slightly teased back. He's one of the people I trusts that's why it was so easy to open some emotion in front of him.

"That too. Will you call back Kiba? It'll be troublesome tho." He slumped back on his seat across from me on my working table and closed his eyes. He looked tired, yes. But there's nothing different from what he usually looked like everyday. The man is lazy. No question about it.

"You're the one who puts good things about him into words and hired him." I smirk at him.

"I didn't say for you to be friends with him. Now he run like a liberated dog in the company and you can't do anything about it." He taunted back.

"He's good at programming, one look and he's able to understand what's the advantages and disadvantages of something." I simply answered while putting my suit back on and proceeded to the door.

"He's still troublesome."

I didn't reply to that remark because naturally, for Shikamaru, everything is troublesome.

* * *

The restaurant is buzzing from the local citizen that filling the whole place. This is not the type of my crowd but I can't go turn on my back now. And besides the point that I'm cousin with Neji, he is my best friend too, so we came as pack and bulldoze ahead when it's about something life changing. And he's about to change his life now. Good thing is, it's a semi-private booth of the restaurant he reserved. I stand on his left at the entrance of the booth where he was fidgeting. For those who doesn't know the man, they would think there is just a lone man standing and staring stoically at the entrance. But to me who have known the said man most of my life years, he looked like a fidgeting dog in down ears and tail and totally shaking. Maybe Shikamaru could see it too because he just gave an encouraging tap on Neji's shoulder then got his self on inside.

"How old is Sasori now again?" I asked, still beside him at the entrance while pocketing my both hands.

"He's four now, turning 5." He answered fidgeting, one hand on his left pocket.

"And how long have you been together with Gaara?" I raised my eyebrow taunting which earned a confused frown from him.

"8 years?" He answered a little soundlessly.

"And you already had a child with him and you still not have the courage to ask that life-changing question? It's not like he's going to reject you flat out. But he might this moment because you're so unromantic." I teased.

"Damn it! You're not helping!" He hissed.

"Really, man, just do it." I encouraged.

He keeps silent for a while then turned to me and asked, "How did you do it?" How did I do it? Is that even up for a question? I stare at him and he only sighed back. "Don't mind that." He suddenly took back.

We both know I couldn't have done it any better. Because as things as they are, commitment is just like one of my business. A work. As for Sakura, I like her. Legit. She's bold and smart and the sex was good, every time. But she lacks something. She's plain. Not that plain, but whenever I visit home with her, she would talk with my mom on usual women stuff that my exes never got the courage to do before. But that's it. I've never seen them bonding like how Temari and Shikamaru's mom do whenever they were around each other. I don't know much about women stuff, but those two were usually laughing together or ganging up against Shikamaru.

Even Kiba floats better with his relationship on my cousin's family, Hinata, and she has a more stuck-up father than myself. And if you count her brother, Neji, there are two of them and they still got along well.

Still, I had to do it because I'm not getting any younger anymore. I could have had a child with her a little more years ago, but it didn't come up as discussion and I know she'd stick to marriage before baby. And marriage it is. Heaven knows how much she brought up that topic and when I gave her a signal last week, she's suddenly up and now busying herself for the preparation.

* * *

The bubbling of excitement was still ringing in the air after Neji's proposal. There's no engagement party like Sakura who's planning to have one. And I know it's for public's eye. Gaara wanted to wed as soon as possible because it's been a decade and half late, he says.

The chattering `re still going when I felt vibration inside my pocket, so I excuse myself for a while and enter the smoking area. I put my phone on my ear while pulling a stick of cigarette. But it didn't as much as touch my lips when it fell on the ground after hearing what Sakura said on the phone.

"Apparently, there is no wedding that's going to happen anytime soon. Because God, help me, when do you plan on telling me you are married, Sasuke!?"


	2. Chapter 2

"I would like to be able to gently drift in and out of existence when I wanted to." – Henry Rollins, Solipsist

**_II._**

Kiba's howling laughter didn't drowned me out of my current turbulent war with Sakura inside my head. Two weeks has passed, and we still haven't talked properly to each other. The papers requiring legal documents, which started our fight, that are needed for the wedding is still on hold for processing because of my seemingly existing married status on the said documents, which I strongly denied.

She keeps on insisting that I go get the _existing_ marriage contract by myself or write an authorization letter so she could get it herself to check and elucidate everything on how the ever mighty and powerful Sasuke Uchiha is a married man without knowing about it and _who_ is the person he is married to.

Of course, it didn't go well.

I may, or may not call her stupid because really, who in the world am I going to get married to when the only relationship I put a label on is with her? And the rest were just one or two-time fling that I encounter. And she's the only steady relationship I had that continues for almost 2-years now.

_"Sasuke, it wouldn't hurt if you just do it. Then if the Sasuke Uchiha of that papers didn't much yours, we could take action and correct it all at once." Mikoto, his mother, interfere when verbal fighting continues at the mansion when he came home, straight from the restaurant he was with Shika and the gang. Neji wouldn't let him go at first but he perceived that there's something wrong when he came out of the smoking area reddening in anger. The fight starts at the phone first until he was home that afternoon._

_"Mom, you too? I'm not going to write a fucking letter for some stupid papers that doesn't involve me!" I exclaimed that day and walk away briskly then took off heading to the penthouse I own from across the city._

"Why Gaara didn't come with us Neji? I thought now that you're engaged, which I'm still mad about because you didn't invite me, you'll be like in each other's faces the whole time!" Kiba goaded while lying at the back seat of the company bus, they were using it instead of their own cars to take them off the city for the annual vacation that the gang ritually doing for so long now.

At first, the gang only composed with Neji, Shika, Choji, Kank and himself when they were in high school. And then comes Shino on their college days and Gaara when Neji started dating him weeks after meeting him when Gaara suddenly appeared at their table one night in a club seeking for his brother. Gaara was 20 that time and he got Neji so whipped that almost cause a fall out between Kankuro and Neji because Gaara was 8 years younger than him. And a month or two after that, we found out that Shikamaru has been dating the sister of the two all along which seriously cause to an almost lasting damage when Gaara punched him blow after blow when they thought Shika was cheating on her with Ino, Shikamaru's childhood friend.

"Sasori still has his school so they will follow us this weekend. And no, we're not in each other's faces the whole time. We just got engaged and I have a forever to spend with him." Neji smirk.

"God! Stop being sappy. Good thing there aren't girls present around!" Kiba groaned out on a pillow neck. "And I know someone who couldn't get his hands off after the proposal." His voice was softly muffled by the pillow, but it was still clearly heard by everybody on the bus.

"Whoever that are, they're the one being sappy." I raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru at that when he replied to Kiba. And I thought he was sleeping already given the moment we are in.

There's a bout of silence after that but Kiba spoke again, this time with seriousness while staring off the roof of the bus. "Hmm, no. They were totally in love with each other. But the world seems to go against them and parted the two apart. It broke the other one, while the other, it made him completely… incomplete. I would know. Because I once saw that person in complete cloud 9, real happiness and real love. But seeing that person again," Kiba turned his head and looked to everyone of us in the eyes then stopped at mine. "_He_'s just a shell," I don't know but my heart skipped at that. His eyes tell me something I couldn't grasp around. Then he stared up at the roof again. "And I _pity _him. Because I know he could be complete. No, not just complete. He will heal. They could heal together. They could heal each other." The look on his face after he said that is totally lost into me. He looked so sad and his right-eye that visible to our view glassed over from the tears that wouldn't fall out of it tear-ducks.

The stretch of silence didn't last when a crunching sound of chips erupt and that made Kiba a howling laughter again, but he couldn't mask the sadness that's been present on his eyes anymore. _Just what the hell is he talking about? Is he in love with someone and rebounding my cousin? _And a look from Neji tells me that he's thinking the same thing.

But Shikamaru is another. He's staring at Kiba with a concentration of a scientist to its specimen. I know he noticed it too, now that Kiba showed that emotion, it's easy to read that the sad look in his eyes has been a constant ever since he came to our company almost a year ago. We don't know if he'll speak and try open-up to any of us, but we're not just a gang of early thirties' men, we're a pack and we come as one. So, anything that bothers him now, it'll come out soon. I just hope it was enough diversion for the gang not to notice the problem I'm in right now.

* * *

It's almost sundown when we reached Konoha Province. Kiba relieved Shino at the driver's seat after our last stop-over because there's still an hour left to drive from our destination to the resort, that we would be staying in and Kiba said it'll be a tough drive because it's the side of an overlooking mountain to the ocean and the resort is private and isolated from the rest of the town.

When the bus hiked the first ring of the mountain, Kiba called someone on the phone and it automatically connected on the Bluetooth speaker of the vehicle.

"WEASEL!" A melodious giggle and energetic voice shouts on the speaker that wake even Shikamaru on his hibernating mode. All of us stared at Kiba and then to his phone in front of him.

"Baby love!" A grin on Kiba's lips stretch on his face and a sudden lightning up on his eyes made it obvious that whoever is in the phone right now is someone truly important to him. "Where's your Mom?" Kiba asks. Tone soft and almost loving.

"Home. Mad at you. Says you're a freak and stupid and dumb and idiot and you made _Momma _cry, I should be mad at you, too. But Granpapa said Momma is only shocked that's why and said I'm staying with him here at the town for two weeks. When will I see you again, Kibbles?" A child's voice with a hint of pout and tantrum drew out all the noises inside the bus.

"Oh, shit, I'm a dead man." Kiba murmur that was unfortunately heard on the other side of the phone.

"Oh, shit! Is that why Momma is crying?" And then a choking sob was heard.

"FUCK NO! Don't say that! I mean the shit! I mean the fuck! Oh damn! No, I'm not dead, okay? And whatever you heard me saying, never repeat it infront of your Mom, okay? Don't cry. I'm sorry." The sniffing continued before the child speaks again.

"So, I can use it if Momma's not around?" Kiba looked like he really wanted to cry, and I can't help but chuckle after hearing the child's response. So are the rest of the gang.

"No, baby love, just, just give the telephone to any adult in the house okay? I really need to talk to your Mom right now before I lose the signal." After hearing Kiba say that I immediately looked at my phone and saw how the network signal lose bar after bar.

When an adult voice spoke up, Kiba quickly instructed to the person to call the resort and held open the gate for 15-minutes. After he hanged-up, he was quickly bombarded of questions by Neji.

"If there's no phone signal at the place we're staying, how will Gaara contact us then?" He inquired.

"It's totally closed off in the outside. The only communication is the one telephone in the resort and it only able to connect at the main house there in the center-town. We will just give Gaara the main house contacts and they'll tell us if he's in the town already then, I'll go pick them up. There're private coaster that transport from here to the main house and we can use them, so, it'll be easy once he was here this Saturday." Kiba answered and made another swerve at the hill. We can finally see the ocean from these heights and the coast of white sands and a real beautiful white house.

"You call that a resort?" Neji amazedly asked. "Gaara would love this place. And Sasori, too. That kid earlier on the phone, how old is he? He's going to be here too, right? Is he your son?"

"Ah, well, I told you this is a private property. And this is, actually, their home. That child, my nephew, he's six-years old. I won't deny him being my son when it comes to handsome department though." He winked at the rear-view mirror. I narrowed my eyes at that. He's not telling us something.

"You know the owner of that house, don't you? And it's not really a resort." Kiba stiffened and scratch the back of his head then grins.

"Well, it's our family's'. But my _brother _inherited it from our mom. There is hectare of land behind that mountain, I manage it." He pointed the mountain at the back of the white house below. "But it's more private. Accessible by shipment and cargos. We could drive a yacht this Saturday so Gaara and Sasori can come too." We fell silent after that. No one tried to speak up and just stares at Kiba until Shika.

"How rich are you, really, Kiba?"

There's a large white painted gate that we're about to cross and it slowly closing now so Kiba hit the gas pedal more and increased our speed. But Shikamaru was never answered even after we crossed the gate and now going downhill heading to the beautiful, white two-storey house. The tires hit the rough side of the road first to the now million grains of white sands that surrounds beautifully almost everywhere. Kiba stopped the vehicle infront of the white house after a 180-degree he made around the fountain and held open the automatic door of the shuttle. We come down one by one and had let some guys assists with our things then Kiba gave the keys to someone and had the shuttle drove off away again. But as the vehicle was once removed in front of them, a waving figure caught all their attention.

"KIBA!"

And there, silhouetted by the peaking moon and stars in the sky and an ocean behind, gently smiling at us is the most-beautiful person I've ever seen with a tress of curly blond-locks.

Crying.


	3. Chapter 3

_You are missing from me…_

* * *

**III.**

The breezing of cold air in the balcony caress the dark tresses of his hair. He was standing and staring off the ocean until the last light faded from the sky. The fountain lights and few lamp posts on the pathways started to flicker and give lights to the darkening place. And two silhouettes could be seen not far from the beach.

"They've been at it for almost half an hour. You would think we aren't welcome here but it's not the case, isn't it?" Neji approached handing him a glass of whiskey. "This house rather had good cellar of wine, but I know you won't settle for that."

Sasuke took it and make a sip and go back staring at the two people outside—one hand on his pocket, eyes never leaving the littlest of the two—he was drawn to him like a moth to a flame and he doesn't understand why. He never felt it before, be it to things or other people. Not even to his family. And not to Sakura…_definitely_. There's something about the man that traps Sasuke to his captivating ocean blue eyes that were ready to shed off tears earlier when they met and clashes his own dark orbs. And worst, those eyes were staring at him and that makes it more difficult not to notice how those orbs made the holder more beautiful than he first thought.

_What a fraction of unjustness. _He thought to himself.

How could someone have the shine of gold as his hair, a kiss of the sun in his skin and its skies as pair of eyes? He'd never been so captivated with such kind of light, for he is a darkness that soon to be doomed and a prisoner in a hell for as long as he can remember.

"Kiba ran away." Neji and Sasuke were both startled at Shino who was sulking at the corner–_sulking_, _moping– _any related words to it, because he looked like that every time, to Sasuke, that is.

"Perhaps," We all turned to see Shikamaru who's suddenly leaning on the balcony holding his own glass of whiskey, and Choji standing on the door-frame holding two plates of food and placing it at the table on the corner near Shino. "A ran-away heir," He gently took a sip and leaned back his arms on the rails while both palms cupped his glass of alcohol. "Or a hiding ex-_convict_?" He said it not too loudly and Sasuke almost didn't catch it.

A gasp from Choji and Neji were heard and the latter react quickly and breathlessly asks Shikamaru and almost quietly "What do you mean Shika?"

He's still watching the two at the far end of the shore and that made me concentrate my focus on them too, ears open to every word that spouting out of Shikamaru.

"He was a mystery to me too from the very start, since he applied at the company. Did you know? He hasn't applied to any company before the Uchiha Corp. He's almost thirty when he graduated college," That statement collected different reactions from everyone in the balcony sans Kankuro who's probably still lagging on the sofa at the living room downstairs and hadn't moved to the room they were introduced to be staying for the whole duration of their vacation. "You didn't read the year he graduated in college that was included in his resume Mr. CEO? Really?" A mocking tone could be heard on Shika, but it didn't stir anything out of the stoic Uchiha because he could feel that the intelligent Nara was really contemplating something and looked lost at his own words too.

"He applied showing off a really advanced program that we're in demand to have that time. I wouldn't be surprise too if the chip he was holding is something that could save the merger between the Uchiha Corp and the Sannin Industries. And Madara was breathing on our every neck too and threatening every living thing on his path to do everything they could have just to impress the _president _that will be present on the launching." All of them stared at the sudden appearance of Kankuro who took the glass out of Neji's hand and groans while seating on the vacant chair infront of Shino.

"When did you wake up? How much did you hear?" Neji inquire.

"That we're currently lodging at the house of an _assumed _ex-convict?" He quotes the word, assumed, just like how Ino did it a few times when she starts her sarcasm at Sakura everytime that they had their attention-rivalry between those times the guys will get together for a lunch and her girlfriend was tagging along.

"He's right. Why did you assume that Shika?" Choji that has been silent for quite a while now asked, leaving a now-empty-plates at the table-top.

"I may or may not heard something interesting at the kitchen earlier. You were there too, you know." He sighs like Choji is something troubling him right now and not the knowledge he may or may not know.

"I was making a fine sauce for the fries." The big-boned man replied but it went pass Shikamaru when he continued his deduction.

"I heard one maid says–_ "I really thought he would kill him like what he said those years ago, but I think Master Kiba changed his mind. It was for the better too."– _and the other replied– _"He wouldn't be like a criminal again just like that, idiot." _What do you want me to assume with these knowledges, huh?" Everyone fell quite at that moment and Shika added. "But I'm not saying he's bad."

"What then?" Neji snapped. "He's dating my sister for fuck's sake! And now I'm learning that he has a criminal record? For what? Killing a person?" I hold back Neji on his chest when his hissing at Shikamaru's face got heated and I could tell that he's trying not to shout from the tenseness on his shoulder.

No one spoke. They all were trying to decipher every word that came from Shikamaru but there's still something that he's not telling them and that could be the reason that he assumed that thought. It was very still and only the passing wind could be heard between them when an on-coming steps were heard coming their direction and Sasuke could tell that everyone held their breath.

A figure of a little man appeared infront of them—fidgeting. Of course, who wouldn't? When a pack of brazen alphas were all staring at the red eye-rimmed curly blond. Sasuke soften his features when he sees how uncomfortable the little man is.

"Hello," He gave a reassuring smile at the frozen form staring wide at him. He was never a polite person, but this little man could be an exception forget the sudden hammering on his chest. "I don't think Kiba had the time to introduce us earlier but I'm—"

"I already know who you are!" He squeaks and that formed a reaction from everyone like that could be expected from what they knew about Kiba. And the poor blonde caught up the on their reaction and looked genuinely confused. "I mean, of course I would know of y-you, b-but—" His wide blue eyes looked everyone at the balcony and Sasuke doesn't like that lack of attention.

"I'm Shikamaru," The man brought up his hand to shake palms with the little blonde who hesitate for a moment. The chain starts from there.

"I'm Choji, I would be glad if I could use your kitchen for the whole time we're here." The big-boned man suggests while softly grinning.

"I-I don't mind. But you really have to fight Kiba on the counter. He rather dominates the place when he's here." The blonde sheepishly replied and return a soft smile to Choji and heaven if that didn't quicken Sasuke's heart rate for a bit.

"I didn't know he has a knack for cooking, I'm Kankuro by the way, just call me Kank, Gaara's my brother he'll follow us here tomorrow." The ever-brass personality of Kankuro showed up. His quick glance to Neji made Sasuke to look at his cousin and he could see how much the man is contemplating on that last statement. He must be thinking if it was relatively safe to have his whole family here now that there's a revelation they just learned.

"He was a _chef_. He didn't tell you?" The curly blonde asks, looking confused. "He almost has a say to every food that was served to him, that should give him away." The gang looked at each other again and silence loomed over them.

"I'm Shino," The sulky man interjects, breaking the ice that Sasuke knew the little man was oblivious of.

It took a while before his cousin came forward and held out his right hand like the rest. "I'm Neji, you must be Kiba's brother."

The little blonde gave a hearty smile that brought shine to his eyes and Sasuke cannot take away his eyes from the sight. "Yeah, though sometimes he is downright annoying and constantly pissing me off and a bad habit of making me cry, _he's the_ best brother that anyone could ask for."

Is it safe to say that Sasuke felt relief? He doesn't know why, but he just couldn't think of Kiba in the light that they had assume he is— _was_.

When the gang approached the dining hall it was visible how most of them become stiff— especially Neji. Kiba was settling foods on the table and I was about to break the tenseness in the air when I watched how nervous the little blond was acting around us like he sensed something wrong. And it's not settling right on my instinct that it almost made me want to shred Neji and slam him against the white wall because his Alpha is almost-peeking and it is scaring the hell out of Kiba's little brother. And the said big brother noticed it too when he lifts his head and stared at us, eyes livid in anger.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING BASTARDS!"

He has the little man on his arms the moment he leaped in front of us. Holding him firmly in his chest while snarling at all of us.

"He's an _Omega! _You fuckers! Stop sending off your angry testosterones in the air like you're gonna break someone! If you're fighting with each other, do it on a closed-doors you damned piece of shits!" Continuous profanity fell out of his mouth while he tries to comfort his brother.

Then and there, I noticed how it's not just Neji whose Alpha is showing, because mine was snarling at him, hovering like a predator and waiting for the right moment to attack. Shikamaru had me firmed on his chest and my both arms were held back strongly against him. Kankuro's wary. He's eyeing me dangerously because I am the one who's excluding most angry pheromones that was close to madness, but the calculative looks were on Kiba and the little blond.

"Neji, you're aggravating Sasuke! You triggered his Alpha, calm down first!" Shikamaru shouted and felt that it wasn't just him holding me back, Choji is holding me back on my torso. "What the hell, Sasuke? What has gotten into you?"

There was a growl in the room, but it wasn't from his throat. Although what he saw is red and felt pure anger, there's still some consciousness left for him to think straight.

It was Kiba, and for the life of him, he's snarling at Neji—who's slowly calming down with Shino continuously whispering to him—like a big bad Alpha trying to protect his puppies.

My viciousness dropped down even before Neji the moment I saw trembling shoulders on Kiba's chest. He's hugging the life out of him and silent sob could be heard in the small dining room.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He asked Neji. It's random how he asked Neji when it was Sasuke who had almost gone a total devil in the house. He eyed Sasuke but didn't give him as much as calculative gaze he's giving Neji at the moment.

The said man is contemplating, and it hit Sasuke, their talk on the balcony. He can't just voice out what he thinks in front of Kiba when it's all about him.

"Gaara will be with us tomorrow. He'll know what to do." A cryptic reply from Shika was heard and released Sasuke from his hold.

Kiba stared at Neji a little longer before the violent look on his eyes disappeared. "Watch your attitude carefully, Hyuuga."

The comment doesn't have a bite on it but Neji took it differently.

"Why? You gonna do something about it?" Suspicion and venom laced on his voiced when he answered.

The anger came back on Kiba's feature but more controlled now.

"Fucker! You know that omegas were not the toughest crowd in the chart. You have an Omega for a sister and for fuck sake a spouse too. They could easily break in the unwanted tension, anger and killing intent! And they soften more when gave birth unless there's a mate or a familiar presence around and my brother happened to have one. So stop your fucking bull right now!" It certainly hit home for Neji and apologized though stiffly that he had just some pent-up anger that he didn't know he released out of him.

They settled around the table like nothing happened. Kiba escorted his brother up the stairs to his room so it was the six of them again. The two beta maids were gone already before any of them touched the food on their plate.

"That was eventful. What's your catch, brother?" Kankuro asked and broke the silence.

Neji stood off for the mean time in the arc wall and at the guys who're settling one by one in the dining. As for me, I couldn't leave him alone. I don't know what gotten into me but I'm glad no one called me out about guarding the staircases. It feels like the more common thing to do after what Neji pulled earlier and I know how Shika is giving me those looks like he wants to ask something and didn't know what at the same time.

"You're worried about your family we know that, but Hinata's my cousin too and Gaara in a way and you know I wouldn't let anything bad to happen with my nephew. But don't let something as assumption cloud your mind." I state as calmly as I could.

Neji scoffs but tried to be at ease. "You always side with the mutt even if he gave you headache the whole time, don't you, cousin?" He proceeds at the table and the guys were watching us warily. We all know what Neji meant by that. And as much as he means what he says, the real question is, _how could Kiba sided with me earlier when almost all the rage came from me?_

"I never expected this." Chouji gasps, devouring food after food near him.

Even though Neji is being wary at the served food he still took a bite and a surprise look is painted in his face. Kankuro didn't make noise and proceeds to stuff his face just like Choji; if Sasuke wasn't here, he would say that nothing as scuffle happened earlier between them. But that was just the way they are. Even before, amid their friendship's falling-out, they didn't stop hanging out with each other, but everyone could still feel the tension in the air, and they knew that anytime they had to talk it out themselves.

No one sided with anyone when they're in a fight with each other. Shika would always be the first one to interfere even though it looks troublesome enough with the genius Nara.

And for some reason, trouble seems to find Kiba—_always_. And Sasuke would just sigh a breath of exhaustion but side with the said troublemaker. Be it the copy machine that always jammed and he tried to beat it with a hammer; or when he caused a 30 seconds black-out to the whole building because he tried to charge his phone at the control room and see if it would charge faster there because the massive electricity circulates there; or when every computer in the corporation was hacked, showing-off his newly invented virus that he said he tried to present to Madara himself but then he was ignored.

And for some unknown reason, Madara adored the annoying buff.

So Shikamaru conclude that it was, maybe, an Uchiha thing. He won the heart of everyone, his father included.

"This is really a fine night even with the event that just happened. But I really want to ask something, and I don't know if it's everyone's business, but I just want to be certain about this." Shikamaru began. We all looked at him, but he had his eyes directly looking at mine's.

"Sasuke, that blonde brother of Inuzuka, _he's your Destined Mated, is he not?_"

Who said Kiba wouldn't bring Sasuke trouble even out of work?


End file.
